So I’ve heard a lot about the possible closure of Dutton’s Brentwood, but how did I totally miss the closing of Dutton’s Beverly Hills? Apparantly, close it did late last year “because of a disagreement over finances with the city,” according to the LA Times.
I didn’t ever visit that Beverly Hills store, but I’m a pretty faithful devotee of the Brentwood store, which happens to be the closest indie bookstore to me.
Why’s the Brentwood store possibly closing though, despite its popular — and celebrity-studded — following? The owner of the property, billionaire Charles T. Munger — who recently bought out his brother-in-law’s share of the San Vincente lot where Dutton’s Brentwood stands — wants to redevelop the site into “a mixed-use development, including luxury condos.” (LA Times)
Charles needs to get lots of permits and approvals before he gets the go-ahead on his plan, so it might be a long while before Brentwood goes down (if ever).
Charles clearly really, really likes his money — and wants to make yet more — a lot more. Still, Charles has actually said he’ll offer Dutton’s “ridiculously low rent” in this new complex, though the space will be much smaller. Doug Dutton — Dutton’s owner — is not really appeased by this; he says the bookstore needs to remain “a literary oasis, a community gathering place,” not “an appendage to a residential complex.” (LAT).
Clearly, Charles owns the land, and arguably should be able to develop it as he wants, while obeying city guidelines. Yet the price the community as a whole has to pay for that seems steep indeed. It would be great if Charles developed the kind of heart owned by Craig of Craigslist, who says “once you’re doing well for yourself and you provided, say, for your future, what’s the point in more?”
But Charles is not Craig.
Hear Doug Dutton speak directly on this issue on KCRW’s Politics of Culture. Dustin Hoffman — one regular at Dutton’s — waxes lyrical about the bookstore at the end of the program.
Update, 6/6/07: Dutton’s Brentwood’ll stay put. The billionaire developer who owns the land’s scrapped old plans; new plans now preserve the spacious bookstore.
Update, 10/4/07: Dutton’s Bookstore looks like it might stay put. LA City Council just gave the property Dutton’s sits on landmark status, meaning changes to the property must go through a review process.
